More like this

Death certificate, will, solicitor's letter leave Cupertino unmoved

A bereaved man has launched a legal bid to force Apple to unlock his late mother's two-year-old iPad.

Josh Grant, a 26-year-old Londoner, told the Beeb he did not know his mum's Apple ID and password. The fruity firm then refused to open up the fondleslab (presumably locked to her Apple ID) even though he has sent them copies of his mother's death certificate and will, demanding more evidence that she wished her account to be accessed.

Mr Grant said: "We obviously couldn't get written permission because mum had died. So my brother has been back and forth with Apple, they're asking for some kind of proof that he can have the iPad.

"We've provided the death certificate, will and solicitor's letter but it wasn't enough. They've now asked for a court order to prove that mum was the owner of the iPad and the iTunes account.

His solicitor is reportedly charging £200 an hour, which means that in just 120 minutes he could afford a brand new iPad Air, which costs just under £400. Grant admitted this cost made the whole enterprise a "bit of a false economy".

One irate fanboi attempted to start a comment thread on Apple's Support Communities, but it looks to have been closed. Here's a link to the discussion in Google's cache.

It's probably difficult to build up a sentimental attachment to a fondleslab, so we're assuming it's the photos and other content that Mr Grant is interested in.

"I thought we might use it as a shiny placemat," Grant said. "I'm a big fan of Apple, their security measures are great but we have provided so much evidence.

"At 59, my mum was fairly young, I've already lost my dad and it's a bit cold of them not to treat things on a case-by-case basis."

Apple told the Beeb that its security measures exist to protect lost or stolen devices. It also reminded the genteel Radio 4 audience that it allowed fanbois to trace their stolen phones using the Find My iPhone app and use a system called Activation Lock to keep thieves out of stolen iStuff by preventing access. ®